The top diplomats of South Korea and Canada agreed to work together more closely on reining in North Korea's nuclear and missile development during a phone call on Friday, the foreign ministry in Seoul said.

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland held a 20-minute conversation over the phone to discuss their joint response to North Korea's ballistic missile launch on Nov. 29, the first weapons test by the regime in nearly 11 weeks.

"Both ministers expressed serious concerns over the North Korean provocation and agreed to step up cooperation between the two countries in order to continue all possible diplomatic efforts, including sanctions and pressure, to block North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.